Thread 58: Stories 46-60

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~~~

The situation had gotten a touch... tense.

Both sides very much looked irritated at the other, quite ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation. A single match, or burst of excitement, and it could all go up. At least seventy total on both ends, a positively massive number by any account, all spilling out of the lobby and into the hallway, perhaps even further beyond that. So many souls who, ironically, were supposed to be here for support to the couple.

And yet, you would never know it by the constant back and forths, the trash talking, the insults and derision. Nothing less than pure, undiluted spite on either side.

"So... this is nice."

Cadence, surprisingly, was trying to remain optimistic.

To the others in their small group betwixt the species, this optimism was neither genuine nor wanted.

"Eeeeyup."

So thus they sat, drowning out the sounds of yelling, screaming and occasional insinuations as to one's mother, daughter and sister... some of them at the same time.

"...this baby better hurry."

One spark, one little match, was all it would take.

"Or the first thing it sees when it comes inta' the world is gonna be a pile o' dead bodies."

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CD
>Daw
"Guard"
'Changeling'
-AJ-

To say the blue pegasus mare was surprised at what she found when she stepped into the waiting room was shocking would be an understatement. On one side of the room stood the Guard, both Royal and Night, in all their splendor. On the other was the changeling horde, menacing with their black chitin and pointed fangs. Both sides seemed poised to charge into a mass melee, a final battle that would end their apparent enmity once and for all.

>...right, so should I come back at another time? OI! Someone in charge around here?!

From the other side of the ballroom a voice answered her.

-I think that'd be me fer what it's worth.-

>Right! Be with ya in a moment then!

With a sigh, the pirate began wading her way into the room, following the narrow path between the two distinct sides, grunting with exertion not to tip over the powder keg that surrounded her.

>You rotters really need a hobby, ya know that?

"This doesn't concern you...whoever you are."

'Yeah! Er, no! Er...what he said but also disagreeing!'

"Dumbass."

'Jackass!'

"But like I was saying, this doesn't concern you so butt out before you get butted out."

>One, my name is Jacqueline Daw, ex-pirate-

'Aha! See? A REAL criminal, why don't you harass her!'

"She's not a REAL pirate, this obviously some stupid scheme you've cooked up! We're on to you!"

>-two, I'm fairly certain I could feed either of you lot a five course meal of your own teeth. But three...you lot don't...REALLY intend ta go ta war here in this lobby do ya?

"If they try something our hooves will be forced!"

'...also we really want to beat these guys up, really really bad.'

>Tsk...don't ya know that kinda stuff don't mesh well at a birth?

Daw's tone had become low, conspiratorial, frightened. The two quarrelers blinked.

"The hell are you talking about?"

>Murder at a babe's birth is essentially taking th' natural order and ruttin' its face clean off. Th' start of life ain't supposed to happen so close to the end of it, don't ya know that? Now granted, if'n the mother dies, that's one thing, that's nature, cruel though it be but...murder? Yeeegh...that's when things start to get...messy.

The guard and changeling, as well as a few of their confederates blinked as the pegasus talked.

"Messy?"

>Aye, especially if'n the person murderin' or gettin' murdered is a right sod in the first place. That means they go to hell, and the door between that place and here openin' allows all sorts of evil things to cavort about! They might just decided they think the baby would be better off with goat horns'r a serpent's tongue. Aye, I remember a kid who's father got himself stabbed by his mom's real husband-right Lotharioat he was- poor little bugger came out with a dozen eyes, all blind, and eight tentacles where his body shoulda been. Thing disappeared into the sea before any of us could do anythin'.

Daw shrugged.

>But I suppose nobody here's been doin' much sinnin', aye? You're all moral uprights?

There was a lot of shared looks, a lot of whispers.

"Y-you're making this up."

>Aye, I am, and you lot HAVEN'T been in contact with light-shy cannibals, sentient fungi, and bleedin' love-feedin' aliens.

'...hey! We're not aliens!'

>Point is, are ya really gonna take that chance?

"..."

'...'

More whispers, things were going quiet.

>Be seein' you lot.

Daw took the opportunity to trot her way to the other side of the room, blinking up at the big orange alicorn that she met.

>Hmm...hang on a tic, one, two, three, four...four. Right, that's half, Pom, you're three away from not gettin' the shite kicked out of ya.

-Can I help ya?-

>Hm? Oh aye, Jacqueline Daw, friend of Pom's at ya service. Heard a baby was gettin' itself born here?

-Yeah?-

>Here.

Daw retrieved a small box from a pouch at her side. She gave it to the alicorn and smiled.

>Filched the cigar inside there from a Baron in Germaneigh, figured it'd make a good gift for the proud papa.

-Er, thanks...-

>Don't mention it, and by the by...you got about fifteen minutes before these twits realized I sold them a load of bollocks, so be ready for things to get far louder they are now. Sayonara.

-Ya ain't stayin' fer the birth?-

>Hm? Oh naaaah...

Daw turned, smiling back at the alicorn.

>I'm off to the place ya keep the unmentionables, think I got an in-law to meet.

Not bothering to elaborate, she was gone.

-...weirdo.-


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 >Spitfire
"Watchdog"

"So...that's a thing."

The two unlikely drinking buddies (for a given value of both 'drinking' and 'buddies') stand across the street from the Coltsly Security Solutions storefront.

>Eeyup.

"...ever think about doing that?"

>Doing what?

The horrifying mishmash of canine and robot points to where a salespony is using a rather...odd infusion to allow a filly to pet a completely docile bird.

>Nah.

"Seriously? I figured you'd be all over flinging some fire around."

>I fly fast enough and it just happens anyway.

"...seriously?"

>Yeah, I'm not sure how, maybe some recessive unicorn genes? Is that how genetics works? Eh...anyway, what about you?

"Oh helllll no, I'm already screwed up enough without adding mutant powers to the mix. I drink one of those flame ones and it could ignite the oil in me and KABOOM, there goes a city block."

>Huh, that sucks. What about getting someone in there to upgrade you? Those bots are pretty sleek.

"Oh please, I could smash any of these plexiglass punks."

>Oh really?

"Yes really."

>Hmm...

"What hm?"

>I wonder how much one of these costs, I'd be interested in testing that.

"Oh I get it, you want to start putting on robot deathmatches! That's...some kind of 'ist' but I'm not sure what."

>Not so boasty now, I notice.

"Bite me."

>Don't wanna break my teeth.

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Non-Canon
>Pinkie
"Rarity"
~~~~
>Welcome to Late Night /pa/ with your host Pinkie Pie! It's during this time that content doesn't matter and we try to fill in for the night. Now for our main guest...RARITY!!!
Applause from the audience as Rarity walks in and takes a seat. Rarity blinks.

"Pinkie, did your cardboard audience just-"

>Yes they did and it's pretty creepy yes. Now the question for tonight is are you going to get any sisterly time with Sweetie Belle eventually?

"Oh my, I certainly hope-"

>and that's it for tonight!

"Really darling, must you make these segments so short?"

>...they stare at me.

"What?"

>By the way, the water's getting cold.

Rarity wakes up.
"HOW LONG WAS I IN THE BATH!?!"

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>41
"Suckerpunch"
~~~

They didn't question why the 'garden' was so barren. The pair of changeling and guard had heard the commotion, had heard the call to action for both sides.

And yet, had planted themselves firmly on that bench, and taken to feeding the birds.

>You sure you don't want to go see? Historic event.

"No... I think it's going to be crowded enough as it is. Not like I know her anyway."

She nodded, tossing out another wave of crumbs.

"You sure you don't want to see? Newborn union of changeling and pony, gotta be huge for you guys."

>Yeah... pretty sure my Queen is going to be there, considering.

"Oh, right... still nothing on that end?"

>Nothing.

"What do you think she's waiting for?"

>Probably just waiting until the princesses are distracted. Then she's going to take me into the ballroom and make an example of me.

"...By exile?"

>...T-that's kind of a best case scenario. A very... very unlikely best case scenario. Changelings don't get exiled.

She brushed the side of her face, careful to turn away from him.

>I-I mean, it makes sense right? An exiled changeling wouldn't be welcome in another hive, so obviously they would go to see a pony or something for shelter, and they might reveal the whole thing... it's just not done.

"But you guys don't hide anymore."

>Doesn't mean anything really changed.

"Can't... isn't that illegal?"

>Nope.

"...I... I don't know what to say."

>Nothing much too say. Just...

A bit angrily, she tossed out the remainder of her breadcrumbs.

>...Just hope she doesn't make it an extended example.

His hoof touched her shoulder, gently, easily.

"...I wish you had just let me get eaten..."

Her own hoof shakily reached up, and touched his own.

>...I don't.

Her head tilted backwards, and she could see them fly.

Every bird, taking off into the sky...

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>Chrysalis
"42"
'???'
[???]
~~~~

>...Where... is... everyone?

They had walked through the castle three times now. There were so few staff, fewer guards...

Everything was quiet.

Too quiet.

>...I don't like this.

"Your majesty, it is probably nothing."

Even still, she was quite resolute as she made her way towards a certain location. Long strides making it difficult, but not impossible, for her soldier to keep up.

Thanks to this, it was shortly after that she found herself in front of massive double doors.

"It is likely something with a very easy explanation, and you are just-"

The doors flung open.

And... silence.

"...I've got nothing."

The ballroom was empty.

Totally, totally empty.

>...

"...Blast."

Her horn started to flicker with power, and her gaze became almost... dangerous.

>Where... is... my...

'MAJESTY! What on Equestria are you doing here?'

She whirled around, hair whipping in the wind. Her gaze locked on like a laser to the changeling standing behind her, only causally flicking to the... other next to him.

>Jugglejack... you.

[I'm Actar-]

>Where. Is. My. Hive.

They shared a look, uncertain and unsure, adjusting the popcorn and soda they had in their arms.

'Uh... d-didn't you hear?'

She trotted forwards, until she was nose-to-nose with the changeling.

>Hear... what?

'G-Glimmer's having her baby.'

>...
"..."
'...'
[...]

>...Who the fuck is Glimmer?

[Bat-mom.]

>...Bat... mom?

She glanced back, towards the soldier changeling behind her.

Forty Two, rather than slink away, glared.

"In case you weren't sure, this is all your fault."

~~~~~

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~~~~~~~~

“...This has gotten outta hoof.”

The two sides were now mere feet from each other, lined up like walls of hate so closely the princesses, and non-princesses, were squished together uncomfortably in the middle. Both sides kept edging closer and closer, and like two volatile chemicals nobody was quite sure what was going to happen when they touched.

But it probably wasn't going to be good.

“You guys are nothing but decoration!”

“Yeah, well at least nobody is mixing us up for decorations on Nightmare Night!”

"Yeah, decorations from there would actually scare someone, instead of making them laugh!"

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck you!”

“FUCK YOU!”

“FUUU-”

“AAHHHHHHHHHH”

Instinctively the entire room froze, as if the Windigos themselves had rushed in to quell the fighting as they had so very long ago. The pair of pony and changeling who had been mere centimeters from touching had lost all sense of what was in front of them, focused completely instead on that loud, loud screaming.

“Uh... that sounds painful.”

“Y-yeah... really painful.”

“I mean, I know painful, that's painful.”

“I broke a leg once and it didn't sound that painful.”

“...Ouch.”

“Yeah, ouch.”

“...This is probably your guy's fault.”

“OURS!?”

“Well, it sure isn't our-”

“AHHHHHHH!”

They all jumped as one, scared out of their minds like a furrow filled with rabbits outside of a thunderstorm.

“...W-what's going on in there?”

The answer to that, simply enough... was pain.

“You can do this! Come on, you can do this!”

Twilight's encouraging words did nothing to soothe the mare now determined to give her tinnitus, the bat-pony wailing at the top of her lungs while choking the life out of the changeling at her side. Still, there wasn't much else the princess could do. The contractions had finally reached a point where they felt it was time to finally deliver the child.

Easier said than done, as it turned out.

“Can't you just give her some painkillers!?”

His desperate plea was met only with a shake of her head.

“I can't! I don't know the state the baby is in, how it absorbs nutrients, or what drugs will do to it! I'm afraid you're going to have to tough this one out.”

“TOUGH IT OUT!? TOUGH IT OUT!? YOU TOUGH IT OUT! YOU DO SOME FUCKING MAGIC SPELL AND PUT THIS THING INSIDE OF *YOU* AND SEE HOW “TOUGH” YOU ARE!”

“I need you to calm down-”

“NO! YOU BE CALM! YOU BE ALL NICE AND CALM AND HAPPY AND PRETEND EVERYTHING ISN'T HORRIBLE AND SCARY AND... And... I CAN'T DOOOO THIISSSSSSS!”

“...It uh... it's a little late for-”

“I CAN'T DO THIS! I CAN'T DO THIS! TELEPORT IT OUT! USE YOUR MAGIC! DO SOMETHING! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE SMARTEST MAGIC USER EVER, BE SMART! DO SMART THINGS! MAKE A SPELL TO MAKE IT ALL GO AWAY!”

“Glimmer.”

“WHAT!?”

“GLIMMER!”

She finally pried an eye open, just one, so that she could look into his soft, encouraging gaze.

“...You can do this.”

“...I-I can't...”

He gripped her, shaking her ever so slightly.

“Yes you can! Look... look, let's be honest, we both know you didn't HAVE to be here right now. After.... you know, you could have just gotten it 'taken care of', and pretended this whole thing didn't even happen. You and I both know if you had wanted to, you could have avoided all the complications when the princess said she wasn't sure what was going to happen. We didn't have to be here right now.”

She winced at the thought, just the mere thought of ever even going through with something like that, with ending this before it even began...

Undaunted, he continued.

“But you chose to! You chose to because... because deep down, you know you're going to love this little thing to bits. Whatever comes out of there, no matter what it is or what it looks like, it's a part of you, a part of US, together. And you carried it throughout all this time, this whole way. Well, you're at the end! You finally neared the finish line! You're just one last hurdle away from making all those mood swings, cravings, cramps and pain worthwhile, and you've just got to give it your all one last time, and you can finally see for your own eyes what you made... what WE made. You're a guard, you're here to protect, to serve. Well... this little life in you needs it's momma to help it! It needs you to be strong and bring it into this world, and... and to love it no matter what. And you're going to.”

He clutched her head in a tight hug, his chest shaking with every breath.

“I... I used to have trouble believing I was going to make it through a day without being killed. I used to doubt there really was a hivemind at the end of it all. I used to have to force myself just to get up in this morning, never really thinking it was going to get any better. But one thing I never, ever doubted, never, was that you were going to do this, you were going to succeed, and you were going to be the best mom in the whole world. I believe in you. I believe.”

She gripped him once more. The power had changed, no more did she throttle him with her stress, no more did she choke him or flail him. No, now she merely gripped him, clung to him as if he were a lifesaver and her a drowning soul.

But she did not fear as a sinking victim would.

“I... I think I'm ready to bring them home.”

He clung to her right back, angling his head awkwardly to look into her beautiful, determined eyes, before giving a nod to the princess.

“Well, if that's the case.... PUSH!”

“HGGNNNNNNNN!”

She began to roar as the princess urged her on, motivating her though the blinding pain that left her feeling like she was about to be torn in half by the life that had yet to be born.

“PUSH!”

Her head began to spin, tears openly poured from her eyes and her teeth clenched so hard she was sure she had chipped several of them to fine points. Her grip on the changeling intensified, but he never so much as twitched.

“You can do this.... you can do this...”

“I CAN SEE IT!”

She did not let the elation from that revelation slow her for long. The metaphorical finish line was finally in sight, the end of her long and painful journey nearing so closely she could taste the confetti.

“Come on, come on, almost there! Push! PUUUSHH!”

And she did. She pushed with everything she had.

Every single burning muscle she could move.

She pushed.

And pushed.

And pushed.

“IT'S-....”

...And then she heard it.

She heard the crying.

The wonderful, angelic sound of a baby crying as it sand the song of it's heralding into the world as a whole. The tune of a life now born and ready to live.

It was beautiful. The most beautiful sound that Glimmer had ever heard in her entire life.

...So why, she wondered, did the silence that surrounded it terrify her so?

It took a herculean effort to open her blurry, reddened eyes, to pry wide what she had clenched shut so tightly she could have cleaved a diamond had it been placed between her lids. Her vision was slow to return to her, slow to let the blinding light that had consumed her sight leave just enough that she could see.

Just enough to witness Princess Twilight staring gobsmacked and horrified at something she held just beneath her sight.

Behind her, even Princess Celestia was taken back, mouth open ever so slightly and evident shock in her eyes.

Beside her, she felt the chitin against her almost go limp, almost as if drained of life entirely.

“Twilight?”

Her mentor's words snapped her out of whatever little world the revelation had drawn her into, prompting her to shake her head in a rapid blur as if to fling away all thoughts clinging to her like spiders in her mane. Her horn flickered to life shortly after, a gentled caressing glow traveling down to her forelegs, the bundle clutched within them still out of Glimmer's ever worrying sight.

“...Well, they're healthy. All vitals reading good, weight is good, no clogging in the airways or nose, e-eyes...”

She cleared her throat, giving another shake of her head before continuing.

“Eyes are following movement, and there's nothing to indicate any... any internal problems.”

“I want to see them.”

Uncertain, ambivalent eyes locked with Glimmer's own.

“Um... you might want to rest a bit before-”

“I want to see them!”

Her high pitched scream put an end to that argument cold.

“Twilight.”

At her mentor's urging, she quickly summoned a towel to clean off the still crying new soul, rapidly but ever so gently cleaning off any remaining fluid before wrapping the newborn in a soft blanket as carefully as she would fine glass.

Even then, it was with great hesitation that Twilight handed the bundle of pink over to the parents, and at last Glimmer could look upon it's face.

As the changeling beside her let go, and fell to his backside against the floor, she understood.

A nebulous half of it's face was that of a changeling, with spots of fur hanging off awkwardly in seemingly random places. The other half of the irregular covering was identical to it's mother, a single eye like hers mostly similar but with spots of the changeling's strange eyes within it. She could feel the contrary hooves within the cloth bundle, with some feeling like an unhardened chitin and others feeling like soft pony hooves. She could feel, without seeing, that one of it's wings were like her own, and one was just like the father's.

It was... unnatural.

Tears openly poured from the changeling's eyes as he strained to look upon it's face, a million different derisions and words of self loathing screeching inside of his head that this was all his fault, all the careless actions he had done and damned species to which he belonged. It was his fault, no other's, that the child was like this. He had doomed the poor thing to a lifetime of being called a freak, a... a...

A bug monster.

Yet, throughout all of his hatred of himself, and his species, and his skin and bones and very DNA, he heard her.

That sweet... heavenly voice.

“Hey little one... I'm your mom.”

A voice attached to an ethereal face that looked upon the tiny one before her with half lidded, near deliriously happy eyes.

The baby below blinked awkwardly at her, unable to register what it saw fully. Hoofs shifted sporadically as it locked sight with her wide vision, as if subconsciously trying to reach out.

Gently, she lowered her nose to it's forehead, smoothly brushing over the little one that curved delighted into the contact. Were it from the infants ability to sense her love, or something much more primal and fundamental, Glimmer could not give a single care.

“Don't you want to see her?”

The whisper quiet voice broke through the haze of dark clouds that hovered over the new father's head, the last words ringing true in his ears like the chime of a church bell.

Her.

It was a her.

He had... THEY had made a... her.

A little filly.

One who was waiting for him.

He just barely found the strength to stand, and walk back over to the bedside he had fallen away from. Never once could he tear his eyes away from the baby, nothing could draw his vision from this... odd little thing he had made.

“You said... no matter what, right? You'd stick with me no matter how crazy this got?”

She was quiet in her questioning, as if afraid of his answer. Gently, he reached over, the very tip of his hoof trailing the baby's cheek, just along the edge of one of the random tufts of fur.

“No...”

Her heart sank further than she ever could have imagined at that word, a million thoughts of betrayal and heartbreak ringing in her head.

At least, before he gently brought his cheek to hers.

“I PROMISED I would be here no matter what. And I will... no matter how crazy it gets.”

She relaxed into his touch, watching his hoof smoothly continue to trail along her face. Her wide eyed, curious face that looked to these new things before it with wonder, and inquisitiveness.

“We'll... we'll figure it out. N-not going to let a little funny face change anything, right?”

“Not at all.”

Away from the two parents, the princesses of Equestria shared a look of relief, but the concern had not yet left them. As much as Twilight wished to leave the two to their newest family member, she couldn't, just yet. She had to be professional, if only to make up for her earlier behavior.

“We'll... A-hem. We'll have to make appointments so I can ensure she's growing alright, and she's adapting to her... uneven hooves okay. If it comes down to it, I might have to make a harness so she can walk straight, and hopefully her eyes will sync up on their own, and not prevent her from seeing clearly. If this is too serious, we'll look into cosmetic surgery when she's old enough to handle it, but for the most part...”

It was with no lack of uneasiness that they nodded, knowing that what was to come likely would not be... pleasant. Not for any of them.

“...We'll handle it.”

The words of the former guard betrayed no uncertainty, held no fear.

“Toge-”

Her no doubt powerful declaration died in her throat as she heard it.

Or rather... felt it.

Outside the hospital room that ushered in this new life, the flickering sparks had nearly become a roaring flame. Two warriors, mere inches from the other, screamed with no lack of vigor and hate, the very point of two convalescing waves of bodies.

“Why don't you just leave!? This is a changeling matter!”

“You are the one who needs to leave! You stupid changelings have no right to even be in this castle! You're just lucky we didn't exterminate you when we had the chance!”

“Us!? You're the one we had at our mercy! If we hadn't decided just to stick your useless asses to walls instead of one laser beam to the face, you'd be gone!”

“If our princess hadn't decided keeping you in a dungeon was too much trouble, you'd all be locked up for life!”

“Like you could hold us, pony!”

“Oh, big talk coming from a-”

“Don't you dare!”

“What? You don't like it? Huh? You don't like it when I call you what you are!?”

Through the sea of bodies pressing on all sides, the new princess, Applejack, decided this had gone on long enough.

She could not use her magic to shove aside the walls pressing in on her, but she could use good old fashioned muscle to pry her way through, and stand just aside of the two fighting the hardest.

“Now ya'll better calm yer' heads down right now, or yer' ALL gettin' kicked out!”

“Just kick out them! They don't even need to be here!”

“A changeling's kid is being born!”

“I meant in Canterlot! Nobody wants you here! Nobody needs you here! You violent, stupid, horrifying looking BUG MONSTER-”

Applejack didn't know what part set off the changeling, exactly.

Was it the insults?

The slur of a name?

The way the guard shoved him into his contemporaries?

Or just perhaps it was just nothing at all but the need to cut loose and finally let out all of those angry, angry feelings inside of him.

It doesn't matter what set it off, why, who did what or who didn't, she realized. All of them, every one of the Elements of Harmony and even Cadence herself realized this. It didn't matter the why.

All that mattered was when hooves started flying, and the room became chaos.

“STAND DOWN! AH'M ORDERIN' YA' TA' STAND DOWN!”

Not a one heard her. She might as well have been whispering in a storm.

They all did what they could. Cadence and Fluttershy tried soft words. Dash, Rarity and Applejack tried more stern commands. Pinkie tried ever so hard just to make everyone see they should be getting along.

None used magic, not a one of them dared. Their reasons were varied, but so similar at it's core. That power, the escalation of force, and they could be turning what is now a mere brawl into a real, tangible war.

“STOP!”

Her words were as helpless as she was as she desperately tried to separate someone, anyone, and restore order.

“AH SAID ST-”

What her words could not, the sound that suddenly filled the room could. Where her voice had been naught but a whimper in the crashing sea of rage, the sound of a single hoof hitting the ground impossibly rang throughout all of them as loudly as a firework to the face.

Just as they came down from their rage fueled high, ironically, they began to rise.

As if gravity had been switched off, every single body in the room began to float into the air, weightless and unable to do anything but twitch. No matter how hard the pegasi or changeling fluttered their wings, they could do nothing at all but remain helpless in the air.

Another singular, powerful hoof-step, and the various fractions found themselves forcibly untangled as if they were twine being ripped back apart by an angry seamstress, placed pointedly on either side of the room in perfect, uniform lines.

No longer given an option to the contrary, they could finally see just who it was who had so forcibly torn them apart.

The Queen had arrived.

Her tall stature was made all the more apparent by the soldier at her side. Her head was raised high in a regal, royal tilt. Wings on her back unfurled and spread for all to see. Her back, like her neck, straight and rigid in posture. Her horn was alight with enough magic to light up a pitch black room to rival the sun, but it was in her eyes that the most power was beheld.

Pointedly and easily, she strode past the groups, Forty Two in lock-step behind her all the way. Forcibly, her magic made all in her grip regard her as she did so, giving them no say in the matter and stripping them of their ability to speak. All, be they changeling or pony, were at her command.

Well, almost all.

The seven who had so desperately tried to quell the fighting were of course left untouched, merely placed in line and let free. She barely even regarded them, or their mumbled words of thanks, before continuing on to the door leading to the delivery room.

“And jus' what do ya' think yer' doin!?”

A single, narrowed eye cut back to the indignant princess behind her, one bristling with offense that she would so openly try to enter into the room without invitation.

She gave not a single care to any of it.

“If anyone else tries to start a fight, break them.”

Her ever loyal soldier saluted, and placed herself squarely between both sides.

“Hey! Didn't ya' hear me!? Ah' said-”

A gentle pink hoof stopped her, the princess of love holding the orange mare in place as the Queen turned back around, and looked right to the door before her.

In contrast to her usual methods, the door was opened slowly, and gently.

Before another word could be uttered, Chrysalis stepped inside, and closed off the world behind her.

The room she stepped into was... tense, to say the least. All eyes were squarely on her, a mixture of emotions from all sides. Still, of them, only Celestia herself found the strength to speak.

“Chrysalis! You missed all the fun.”

But her eyes, instead, locked only on one. One it could not see the face of, but knew without a doubt.

“Is that it?”

Glimmer didn't know why she suddenly felt a wave of dread creep over her, a feeling that instinctively made her clutch her baby just a touch tighter against her chest, a bit of her fang showing through the corner of her lip.

Ignorant, or uncaring, to the look she was being given, Chrysalis's hoof slowly reached out, and gestured towards the baby.

Warning bells began blaring in the new mother's mind, and she once more clutched the bundle a little tighter to her chest, ever so slightly tilting her away from the Queen and further bringing the blanket over her tiny face, preventing the Changeling from looking upon it.

“Chrysalis? I don't think that's such a good idea right now-”

Her glance cut over to the smaller princess quickly, silencing her without a sound. Nothing but the power behind her eyes was needed.

“Honey?”

His words were quiet and short, shaky in their delivery.

“Let's let her... just look.”

A brief flicker of betrayal coursed through her eyes as she looked to him. He met her gaze, only to have his irises ever so slightly flicker behind himself. In an instant, she knew what he meant, completely and fully.

Even still, it was only with great, great trepidation that she eased up just enough to allow that emerald magic to encircle her child, and carry it away.

Her hooves remained reaching out as it left her, desperate and empty without that feeling inside of them. Even more so was the sinking feeling as she floated further and further away...

The blanket had covered the infant's face, shrouding it from the piercing gaze that looked upon it with expressionless, but harsh eyes.

A single, regal hoof reached up, and gently pulled the covering away.

All of them flinched when her neck reeled back, her eyes going wide at what she looked upon. Her face remained as stoic as ever as she uncovered more and more, looking over every inch as a if she were a jeweler examining a fine gem.

Her snout drew in close as she looked deeper into the wide, curious eyes that locked with her own, narrowing the gap until she was so close the air from her nostrils tickled the child's nose like a feather.

Her gaze grew harder, harsher, more intense as she looked deep, deep into its gaze. All around the room, the air became as if filled with an unsettling gas. Horns began to glow ever so slightly, the new father found himself pressing down hard on the edge of the bed, and gripping his love tightly as if preparing to jump her together. A single move was all it would take...

A move such as a tiny, tiny stub of a hoof flicking out, and catching the massive Queen right on the nose.

“.....AWWWWWWWWW!”

And thus, everyone forgot if they were supposed to be rushing her or falling over in shock.

“Lookit yoooouu! HAH! You trying to bop me, little filly? Oooohh ho ho, gotta wait till you're WAY bigger than that before you try to hit the Queen, honey!”

The little thing blinked as that massive chitinous hoof brushed her in the nose, confused more than anything.

“HAH! Well! Good for you, uh...”

She became quite a bit uncertain as she looked over to the bed, eyes flickering left and right.

“My name's Glimmer.”

“I know you, Bat-mom!”

“Bat-mom!?”

It suddenly dawned on the changeling at her side what the problem was.

“Oh... OH! Right, I'm-”

“Just the number, please.”

“...Twenty Two.”

“Congratulations, Twenty Two!

Beside him, the mare blinked in confusion.

“Wait, your number is Twenty Two?”

“Yeah!... Did I never mention that? I don't use it because I actually have a name.”

“Why didn't you tell me!? That's way shorter!”

“Shorter than NTL? It's what Fifty Six calls me.”

“NO! But NTL sounds weird!”

“Well, you never asked.”

“I didn't know I had to ask this!”

“A-hem, um, Chrysalis?”

The princess's cautious, worried voice ceased the fighting in the room, but it did not cease the faces Chrysalis was making at the child.

“Yuh-huh?”

“Since you... aren't freaking out. Does that mean this is... normal?”

Hope suddenly ignited in the pair. Hope they had dared not have before now.

“Nope!”

And for good reason, it seemed.

Still, she did not let them dwell in their crushing despair long.

“Oh, don't look like that, I mean it's not normal they look like THIS! Actually? This is really impressive! You totally nailed her while looking like... yourself?”

He tried to ignore the burning feeling in his cheeks, and nodded.

“HAH! Okay, crash course here. So, you know we changelings have never been discovered before now, right? Well, didn't you think that was weird if we can have kids? Most of us are male, and you better believe the ladies give out love in a lot of different ways. So thus, when the kid comes out, it obviously can't look like this, right? Well, it doesn't.”

With all the ease as if she was floating on air, she trotted over to the bedside, and gently returned the child to it's waiting, needy mother.

“See, when you 'plant the seed' as it were, you've got a bit of magic in there.”

She regarded the other stunned faces, giving little more than a shrug and a smirk.

“Makes sense, right? You want to know it's yours, and you have to be certain. If you're tagging a changeling, probably not the most pious sort, right? So the odds of accidentally getting someone else's kid and bringing them to the hive is a problem, and wow is that a bad idea. Talk about risks of discovery. It's also to prevent you from accidentally disowning the little fella, and then the new daddy gets to discover a whole new species... the hard way.”

“W-wait... what about the mother in the equation?”

Playfully, Chrysalis bopped her on the head.

“You'd die!”

As one, in perfect sync, there was a beat, followed by a-

“WHAT!?”

“HAH! Yeah, little kid would drain you dry, you'd die of 'complications regarding birth', daddy takes the baby away, and the hive gets a boost of mother's love and we get a new drone. Win win win!”

The silence that followed was deafening.

“...For us, I mean.”

Almost like a student, Twilight raised her hoof in the air.

“So, wait, what kind of magic does it have?”

“You want me to show you?”

“Yes.”

“You sure?”

“Yes!”

“Bat-mom? You okay with this?”

“...Uh... I guess-”

In a second, the baby was awash in fire.

“WHATWHATWHATWHAT-”

Thankfully, a fire that only lasted half a second.

And in place of what everyone had feared was a scorched, charred infant remains was instead... a baby.

A changeling baby.

A completely normal looking, for a changeling at least, baby.

“Disguise magic of course! And don't worry, I gave munchkin here enough of a boost it won't drain you to...”

Slowly, she looked up, just past Glimmer's head.

Where the other changeling in the room was on his hind hooves, standing awkwardly with spine bent back... and a scalpel in his hooves, hefted above his head.

Judging by where his eyes were locked, it didn't take a genius to figure out what he was going to do with it.

By the amount of sweat pouring off of him, it didn't take a genius to figure out what he thought was going to happen next either.

“...M'kay. Ignoring that.”

He let out a breath that had been locked in his lungs, slumping like a puppet with it's strings cut back to the side of the bed.

“And that's all there is!”

Happily, she got to her hooves, and walked to the end of the bed.

“Be careful with the love you hand out, tell someone if you get drowsy, and take it easy! You should be fine, she'll be fine, and so on.”

Relief.

Pure. Undiluted. Unrestrained. Unstoppable. Indescribable.

Relief.

Her daughter was going to be fine...

Never, in her life, had she felt this happy.

This right.

“WAIT A MINUTE!”

A lavender magic grabbed hold of Chrysalis, dragging her away at blinding speeds and over towards a certain irritated princess. A very... very irritated princes.

“You mean I went through all that worrying, all that panicking, all that horror, and you had the answers this whole time!? YOU COULD HAVE PREVENTED SO MANY PROBLEMS! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS SOONER!”

As soon as the rage-shaking subsided, Twilight was met face to face with a very dodgy set of eyes, and she doubted it was due to the rattling.

“I didn't know.”

“You didn't know what!? What part of that long speech could you have JUST remembered right now that...”

The clock ticking became the sound of puzzle pieces landing on the floor, smoothly in place.

“...Really?”

“I didn't know!”

“HOW!?”

“...Well, Forty Two tried to tell me, but I uh... I kept cutting her off...”

“...”

“...A lot...”

“...”

“...Twilight? Twi-”

There was a loud WHUNK as a metal pan hit her in the side of the head.

“OW! Twilight! That's-OW! OW! CUT THAT OUT-OW!”

Slowly, the red overtook Twilight's left eye.

The hitting did not stop for a long, long time.

“CUT IT OUT!”

Annoyed, she brushed off the princes, fixing her hair with magic before standing up straight again.

“Yeah, well, you should have asked me yourself instead of sending-”

“Chrysalis.”

Celestia's tone was chiding, but not harsh.

“...Fine.”

With that, she turned one final time to the new parents, and gave them a winning smirk.

“Well, congratulations. She's the first new changeling born in this place... she might be the first one ever born through a consenting union. It's not going to get any easier, but that is a changeling in your grasp, through and through. Her father is of my mother's brood, and my hive. As such, any who wish to harm your child... bring the might of the entire changeling army upon their heads. Remember your allies in the coming times. For allies... they shall forever be.”

With that, she trotted over, and waited at the door.

“Twilight?”

The gentle, motherly voice was coupled with a gentle hoof tapping her shoulder, and ever so slightly nudging her towards the door.

“I think it best we leave everyone to get some rest.”

She nodded, knowing full well that Celestia was speaking to her every bit as much as she meant the new parents.

After a quick movement to move a bed for the little one to their side, and the tired bundle placed gently within it, the three royals moved to the door.

Not that they could see, of course. Both parents were locked onto the baby before them, watching her sleep, watching her breath.

“Heh... this is going to be fun.”

“Yes... I actually think it will.”

The three most powerful equines in Equestria shared one last look, and opened the door.

“It's a girl!”

The uproarious cheering was cut off the instant the, thankfully soundproof, door was shut, and the baby, and of course her parents, could at last, rest.

“...Honey?”

“Mmmhmmm..”

“...Did we ever get married?”

“............................................................................................................................Fuck.”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Spike
“56”
____

Two pairs of eyes glanced up toward the ceiling.

The uproarious cheering… the stomping of hooves… the hoarse cries of relief… the sounds of pony and changeling fiercely hugging one another when just moments prior they were close to breaking bones….

>Hmm. I’d say… success?

Glancing down at the changeling next to him, Spike saw that 56 was smiling wide, globs of marshmallow stuck to his fangs.

“I’d say so, man. I’d say so.”

>First pony-changeling hybrid for the history books, eh? What do you think it looks like?

“Like a baby!”

The sudden answer, spoken so assuredly and with such truth, left Spike gobsmacked.

Then he slowly nodded.

>Duh.

Almost in unison, the two of them stood, turning to face the other with a nod of unspoken understanding.

>Welp, things to do, congratulations to dole out, apples to rekindle, all that there.

“Yup! Butts to snuggle, rears to inspect, not-moms to pester, you know the drill.”

The knuckles of a clawed hand met the underside of a hoof in a brotherly bump.

>See ya ‘round, Fifty-Six.

“No doubt! I’ll keep the butts warm, Spike!”

And the two of them walked off in opposite directions, each to his own destination.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

akes place just before>>21581300
>Chrysalis
"42"
~~

>Are you fucking kidding me!?

They were both racing now, full tilt, full speed towards the hospital wing, Queen with subject in tow.

Despite her harsh, rough tone, the soldier was strangely not bothered.

>Really!? Really!

"Yes, really."

She swung her head back, glaring at the soldier. Again, Forty Two strangely remained unmoved.

>You couldn't just tell me!?

"I TRIED!"

That, hearing her most loyal subject outright scream at her, was enough. It was finally the thing needed to outright make her stop in her tracks, and turn to face her with an angry, glaring face.

All this did was, if anything, drive Forty Two on more.

"Don't look at me like that, I tried! I tried so many times! I kept trying and trying! But you just kept cutting me off or running away to do something else!"

Pointedly, Chrysalis jabbed her right in the chest, and spoke with her most authoritative voice.

>Well then you should have tried harder!

"No, you needed to let me tell you important information about your subjects!"

She stepped back, actually stepped back from that, just could not believe what she had heard.

"I thought you learned from the incident with Seventy Seven, but apparently not! Majesty, you charged me with watching over your subjects when you aren't around, so why won't you just listen to me when I need to say something! Did you really not learn anything from that!?"

Almost like a beached fish, the Queen's mouth opened, and closed, opened, and closed. Nothing came out.

>...Fine.

With that, she turned her back on her subject, and started on.

"...I'm not saying it to call you dumb, or stupid, or anything like that..."

Her voice had gone low, almost... defeated.

"But... but when they say you're a bad queen, I always argue for you. I always tell them that you do a good job, that you are not a bad ruler, that you do care about us..."

Angrily, her hoof stomped down.

"But then you won't even let me tell you when a massive breakthrough like a child is being born, a momentous occasion! And the worst part is, I didn't tell anyone not to tell you, or ask you, or anything of that nature. Which means you didn't just ignore or cut off me, you cut off everyone! Everyone! How could you have gone this long and not heard about it? How have you not seen the betting pools as to when it will be born, which by the way are all useless now thanks to this. How were you never questioned by Twilight for medical reasons, or Applejack regarding citizenship, or... anything? How did you go this long and never figure it out? How... how can you know so little about your subjects?"

What little pace Chrysalis had gained had long since come to a dead stop. No more movement, not even a twitch.

"You're not... I believe you're a good Queen. I know you are. From what I have learned, you might be the best one to have ever lived. But that doesn't mean I can just ignore it when you do things like this. I'm trying to protect my hive, my Queen. An order you gave me. Remember that? It's what I need to do... and I need to know it's what you are doing as well."

They sat there in silence, the soldier's eyes boring into the Queen's back. The statuesq changeling, on the other hand, remained completely faced forwards.

>Tell me, Forty Two... were you really going to let me stumble into this and make a fool of myself in front of everyone?

She thought about that, long and hard.

"...I let it happen in front of Applejack and Seventy Seven."

That sent ripples down the chitinous spine, no matter how she tried to hide it.

At last, Chrysalis turned back to her. The glint in her eye had changed, from a dull red irritation to an almost... fiery red.

>I'm getting awfully tired of insubordination in my hive.

Pointedly, Forty Two stepped forwards.

"Insubordination means when you do not follow orders. I follow them to the letter."

Just as pointedly, Chrysalis stepped towards her as well.

>You know, Eighteen would have probably just yelled at me and made me listen if I just cut her off.

"I want to believe... that I shouldn't have to."

At last, their eyes met, sparks practically dancing between them.

"And I want to believe... I never will have to beyond today, your Majesty."

The sparks, at least on Forty Two's side, died out.

Soon... so did Chrysalis's.

>...Really? You were seriously going to let me look like an asshole?

"...I probably would have tried again closer to her due date, or at least started dropping subtle hints, but this sudden change threw everything out of alignment."

>Guess so.

She turned around again, but did not move forward, not just yet.

Instead... she gestured for Forty Two to move beside her.

>Come on, let's go see what we've missed.

The barest hint of a smile tugged at her lips, and she took her place.

"Of course, Majesty."

>...So, the mom's name is Glimmer?

"The hive has taken to calling her Bat-mom."

>HAH! Cheeky assholes. And the father?

"That one idiot that picked a ridiculous name when Applejack asked him."

>Pfft, figures. What's his number?

"..."

>...

"...uh..."

>Seriously?

"I uh... I never asked..."

Under the gaze of her incredulous Queen, Forty Two could not help but blush.

Chrysalis, in the other hand, laughed.

And laughed.
And laughed.
And laughed.

>Oh, Forty Two, what would I do without you?

"Let's hope... you never find out."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>32
"Reggie"
'Q'
-Daw-

>Right, now you four sit there, you'll join in on the second chorus, and you three on the first. Aaaand...Reggie, you remember your part, yes?

"*chitter*"

>I KNOW you're classically trained, but musical theater isn't the same as a shanty. I know this for a fact.

'*tink*'

>Erm, well, someone I used to know taught me that. He was the type of person who knew that sort of thing.

"*chitter*?"

>It was his job to!

"*chitter*!"

>It wasn't ALL he did, it was just a part of it.

'*tink*?'

>Erm...no, I don't think we will be able to ever meet him.

"*chitter*"

>...well I wasn't going to put it THAT bluntly, but yes, dead as a doorknob. Can we just do this already? We've precious time before dear Pommel returns with news either joyous or harrowing, and I'm unsure they'll allow me to leave with my constituency intact.

"*chitter*"

>Well of course I'll leave you in power. Don't abuse it. Now, everyone ready?

"*chitter*!"

~*many other chitters*~

>Dum diddy dum diddy dum dum dum, dee diddy dum diddy dum dum!

>Got a whale of a tale to tell ye, lads, a whale of a tale or two! Of the flappin' fish and the girl's I've loved on night's like this with the moon above-

"*chitter*"

>I KNOW it's probably day time you insufferable cur! Now look, you've ruined the flow and we've got to start over. The cheek of you!

-Maybe it'd be best if ya skipped to the part about the ugly lass.-

>GAH!

"*CHITTER*!"

'*TINK*!'

~*MANY OTHER CHITTERS*~

-...y'know when he said you were an odd bird, I was expecting a toucan, perhaps a parrot, not full blown cuckoo.-

>Who are you, how did you get down here, and how did you manage to sneak up on us!?

-In that order? Jacqueline Daw, guards are too busy gearing up for genocide in a waiting room, and you're a nutter that does not live up to your reputation.-

>You speak nothing but-wait, Daw? Ah...so you are Pommel's paramour.

-And you're supposedly the bug that taught him everything he knew.-

>Well I wouldn't say everything.

-Neither would I.-

>...was there a point to you coming down here, you oily-tongued she-devil or are you just here to vex me?

-Came down to see if you lived up to the hype, in case ya haven't noticed, ya haven't.-

>I was getting that idea, yes.

-Now I'm starting to see why Pom wasn't keen to bust you out, forget about what'd happen afterward, I wouldn't trust a braindead bugger and his roach revue to break out of a paper bag, let alone a dungeon. You look like-Gah!-

Daw shouted as Reggie leaped from where he'd been stealthily crawling on the bars of 32's cell. The pegasus flailed her forehooves as the small insect skittered all over her.

>Aha! Get her, Reggie, avenge me!

-Ya little son of a-!-

Reggie's skittering managed to evade the batting hooves of Daw for a time, but an ill-advised attempt to get under the mare's bandanna left him stuck between fabric and hide. With a hefty shake of her head, Daw was soon standing over the roach.

-Ha, this'll teach ya to play silly buggers with me!-

Daw lifted her hoof.

>NO!

32 was against the bars, eyes wide, his face a mixture of rage and anguish, his cry half a demand, half a plea. Daw blinked and slowly lowered her hoof. Reggie quickly regained his extremely small senses and made his way back within the safety of the cell.

>...thank you.

Daw shook her head.

-Ya ought not be thankin' me, next pony you see'll hopefully be the lad gettin' you outta this dump. Then'll you'll be able to make friends with folk that can actually, y'know, speak.-

'*tink*!'

>They can speak just fine, thank you! You just have to listen.

-Whatever ya say, bugs. Lovely meetin' ya, think I got a real lay of the land as far as the two of us're gonna be concerned, and besides, I figure I got a small window before your extended family and the guard try to get even with me flummoxing the lot of them to give daddy bug a cigar.-

>Ooh, can you do me a favor? If a high and mighty bitch of a changeling comes at you, could you be a dear and destroy her helmet?

-That her weak point?-

>Hm? Oh no, she'll still leave you a bloody smear on the ground, I just really hate that helmet.

-Pettiness, grand quality to have. See ya when you're walkin' free, ya ugly shitebag.-

>And a good day to you, sea-bitch!

With a snort, the pegasus disappeared as quickly as she had came.

'*tink*?'

>Hm? Oh no, not a fan of that one at all. I doubt we'll be getting along.

"*Chitter*"

>...what on earth would we need goo for? Speak sense for once in your six-legged life!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Non-Canon
>Pinkie
"RD"
~~~~
>>Welcome to Late Night /pa/ with your host Pinkie Pie! It's during this time that content doesn't matter, but I still have to entertain people somehow. Now for our main guest...RAINBOW DASH!!!
Applause as Rainbow Dash takes a seat.

"...Pinkie, what's up with your-"

>Just keep your eyes open. Anyway, the question for tonight is...can you take on cardboard?

"What?"

>Just answer the question please.

"...yes?"

>A great answer...

"...uh don't you usually end about now?"

>Yup...

"...I guess I'll wake up now then."

>Y-you can stay a little longer and keep me company.
Audience goes awww.

"Sorry, if I'm asleep that probably means I passed out watching Fleetfoot. I should head back."

>Wait! D-
RD wakes up.
"...Pinkie sure was awkward tonight."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Twilight
"Applejack"
'Pinkie'
-Dash-
[Rarity]
{Fluttershy}
^Spike^
~~~~

>So... that was a nightmare.

'Awww, come on Twi! You did great!'

"Yeah, Sugar Cube, don't think any of us could'a handled it."

-Know for a fact I couldn't.-

[Me either, darling.]

{I might have turned it into a tree...}

^Come on, do you really think the first thing a baby wants to see is a dragon?^

>UGH! Wish Chrysalis hadn't been so... her! Do you have any idea how many problems I could have solved if I just knew it was going to come out pony-like?

"Fraid that's just how she is. Thicker than a sack o' rocks."

^Hey now, don't insult rocks. Maud will go off at you.^

-...And just how would you know that? Have you actually, like, met and talked to her?-

^....Still can't believe you guys didn't invite me to come when she came to visit...^

'WE'RE SORRY!'

>Enough! Look... can we just call it a half day today?

{Um... It's almost midnight, actually?}

>...WHAT!? HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN IN THERE!?

[About fourteen hours, give or take.]

>Then why the heck are we all walking towards the office!?

"Now calm yer' tush, we're just lockin' it up fer' the night and adjustin' the schedule so we can get some sleep."

>Oh... oh yeah.. that's nice...

[Really, Twilight, you need some rest. You look like you're about to-]

It had just been a quick glance.

A quick opening the door to make sure their office wasn't on fire.

That's when they saw.... him.

"...Pommel?"

Softly, he snored away, still sitting in the middle of the room. He hadn't moved.

[...What are the odds he'll still be here when we wake up-]

(NUH FUCHIN MOVIH!)

>...Pretty good, I'd say.

(Zzzzzzz)

>...Yep.

With that, they closed the door.

>...When we WAKE UP.

And left.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Siegfried
"Guard"
'Rekulk'
-Sebjek-

"What a complete waste of time."

>Now now, don't say that.

"My apologies, m'lord, but to keep you waiting for so long then cancel? It's not befitting treatment for a royal to give another."

>Now you know why I prefer the company of commoners, but there's nothing for it, I'm sure they had their reasons. Besides, we met Prince Armor and his...lovely friend...erm...

"..."

-...Catbirds say hello now, yes?-

'No no, Sebjek, WE say hallo.'

-Then who says hello?-

'...you mock me sometimes, I am thinking. But HALLO, Catbir-gah, Sebjek, whyfor do you mix me up? Gryphons, yes, hallo to gryphons!'

>Good evening, Mr....

'Rekulk! I am Rekulk, trader of Morlocks, this is Sebjek, apprentice trader of Morlocks! We are here for the trading with the ponies, but gryphons are also good!'

>Oh, right, Morlocks, I remember dad mentioning something about you...

"He mentioned many things about them, mostly about their intellect."

>Right, so-

'Pardon Rekulk, but does this reference to the gryphon's father mean that this gryphon is son of the King?'

>Well...yeah?

'AHA and hurrah, Sebjek! Now we can finally correct the error that was made so long ago!'

-Hurrah!-

"Error? What error?"

'Gryphon Prince...erm, which Prince are you?'

>Siegfired.

'Aha! Adventure Prince! Adventure Prince long ago in the Park that Flies, your father said that Gryphons would be trade partners with Morlocks...but then we never saw him again!'

-Chaotic chaos make him forget, yes? Yes.-

'We would very much like to trade with the gryhpons!'

-Very much delicious food to be had from the catbirds.-

"And what do you think you could possibly offer u-"

Sebjek opens a bag full of precious gems.

"Uhhhhhhh...I think that this agreement might be a wise decision m'lord!"

>Yeahhhh, I'm thinking you're right, Gregory.

'So Adventure Prince will sign agreement?'

>Hmm...tell you what, let's sleep on this and meet tomorrow, I want to make sure this deal is fair.

"Fair!? Your highness they're offering a fortune for...what do you want?"

'Anything!'

"ANYTHING!"

>Yes...

Siegfried pulled his guard in close.

>And if we screw them we'll have a bunch of pissed off cannibals that can come from underground coming for us.

"...yeah, you know what, I think this idea would be best discussed when everyone's awake."

'These are facts.'

-Agreed.-

>Alright, see the both of you tomorrow then, my fine chums. Gregory, get the other four and see to finding us an inn, hm?

"Yes your majesty."

'Farewell Adventure Prince!'

>Please, call me Siegfried.

'Zigfig.'

>...we're...we're gonna work on that, ok?

'Hurrah!'

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Dadling
"???"
~~~~

Dad.

Even now, he doesn't know how to take it.

Dad.

D. A. D.

The cigar he rolled around in his hoof suddenly felt... heavy. Like it was more a brick than just some odd rolling of... whatever it was cigars were made out of. Grass? He didn't know, he'd never had one.

But whatever it was, it was heavy.

Way... way too heavy.

He couldn't help himself from glancing up at the room again. They had been moved after a short rest, and now both mother and child were softly snoozing away inside of that room, oblivious to the outside world. Now, he figured, was the best time to leave them both be, and just have a moment to take it all in.

The empty lobby he sat in afforded him that, if nothing else. All of his fellow brothers and sisters had long since give their congratulations, their praise and their oh so innuendo based good natured barbs. They had given him it all, and then left him alone... to think.

He didn't like thinking too much. He was never a thinker. As a drone, he was supposed to be more a follower than a thinker. Following he could do. But this time, there was no following to do. Nobody had ever been in a situation like this before now. With an open, singular changeling child in a land that wasn't all too keen on the species.

For the first time in his life, especially after finding Glimmer in that oh so random chance that paid off better than he had ever hoped, he felt... alone.

"Hey, there's the lucky new papa! Congratulations!"

He expected a lot of such as that today, he admitted. Even still, he was still quite taken aback when a certain pony clapped him hard on the shoulder, nearly knocking him off his chair.

Stunned, he could only glance up at the stark white face smiling down on him, and give his own, very visibly forced, one in return.

>T-thanks.

Rather than be offset, the prince of the Crystal Empire himself just laughed and took a seat next to him like it was the most casual thing in the world.

"Nervous?"

He honestly didn't know how to respond to that. Years with his hive had told him that he should make some kind of sarcastic quip, but he felt in light of the pony's many efforts on his specie's behalf, it would be quite rude.

"Yeah... figured..."

Continuing this odd trend, the pony leaned back in his chair, magically summoning some kind of thermos to his grip. After quickly screwing off the cap, he offered a freshly poured serving to the changeling.

>I... I don't think I should...

"It's fine, trust me."

Deciding that he certainly had no reason not to, he took the offered drink, and downed it all in one swing.

>...Hot chocolate?

"Complete with marchmalleys."

He didn't know why he found this so absurd he had to laugh, but he did.

>Aha ha ha... huh... thought you were supposed to drink heavily during stuff like this?

The prince smirked, his magic gripping the cigar that been in the changeling's hold, and floating it before him.

"As a guy who once had quite a massive wine collection, I can tell you that in another time I probably would be giving you something strong. Things change when you've got a kid."

Suddenly, it was like the whole world had ceased to be. All that was left was that pony...

"You can't get drunk when you want, you can't party when you want, you can't go out on adventures when you want or eat exactly what you want or anything like that."

>That sounds like it sucks.

"Nah... just gives you a chance to appreciate the finer things in life."

With that, he set the cigar down, and he took his own drink.

"...And it's totally worth it, by the way. You lose being able to get sloshed, but you get pictures to put up on the fridge. You don't get to go out whenever you like, but you get to stay in and read bedtime stories as much as you can. You don't get to be totally free... but when you've got that little one on your back, you won't want to run too fast anyway."

He smiled, looking off into the distance, wistful.

Suddenly, for reasons he could not say, the changeling felt utterly... ashamed. Inadequate.

>I don't know if I can do a good job.

He turned back, his smile leaving him ever so slightly.

"...Good."

Shocked, he looked up once more.

"Then you get to prove you can."

With that, he left the thermos beside the other, and gestured towards the door.

"Hate to leave you, but Two'll be waking up in a few hours, and I promised her she could look at the baby when she woke back up... didn't want her to see the fight that broke out earlier."

>Y-yeah... good choice.

"Mind asking Glimmer if it's okay if she looks? Made her promise not to try to hold it."

>I... I can ask.

"Thanks. Means a lot to her."

Playfully, he tapped the changeling on the shoulder one more time.

"Take it easy while you can, it only gets crazier from here."

>I figured...

"See you later."

The prince started to leave, the changeling could not help but as one final question.

>...Why'd you do it?

The pony froze and looked back, a single eyebrow rising with a perfect mixture of curious and incredulous.

>You didn't have to... you know. I'm here cause... you know, hit a home run in one swing, but you... she wasn't even the same species or anything. You couldn't have known what to do, what to expect, how to care for her... you had so many problems facing this. Why'd you do it?

He smiled. A perfectly calm, serene, easy smile.

Then he stood up.

"Because she needed a dad."

Sternly, he pointed a hoof, off to the sleeping pair just beyond.

"Just like the one in that room does."

With a light nod, he once more continued on his way.

"It's up to you if you want to be that dad or not."

Without the chance at another word, he was gone. Leaving the changeling alone with his thoughts.

His thoughts, a cigar on the seat... and a still warm cup of hot chocolate.

After a moment... he took a drink.

>...I want to be...

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>77
"88"
'???'
~~~

>So... is it seriously working?

"You know what... I think it is! I think I'm actually getting more sensy!"

>There is no way that is a word.

"Fuck you, you know what I mean, so I see no reason to limit my vocabulary to only what some stuffy asshole put inside of a book hundreds of years ago. "It's not a word." Feh! Words are a collection of sounds used to identify a specific thing for the benefit of others. I say 'sensy' and you know what I am identifying with this, so who cares if it wasn't loaded into some giant sociological program of sorts! I STAND BY SENSY!"

>...

"...But yes! I am sensyifying stuff better! I can like... HEAR that there is someone else in this room!"

>Okay, sensyfying is pointless when sensing exists, sounds better, and makes more sense to more individuals. I'll give you sensy is a shorter means to describe 'my senses are increasing', but I draw the line at sensyfying! You are making this longer for no purpose!

"...Touchè."

>...

"...So, who else is in the room?"

>Why don't you ask her? You've been sitting on them for a solid hour now.

"...Okay, one, this isn't a chair?"

>...

"And two, what, they just didn't say anything?"

'I-I didn't want to be a bother...'

>She has social issues.

"Oh...BREAK OFF THE SHACKLES, SISTER! DON'T LET SOCIETY DICTATE YOU!"

'Uh... sure, if you want, I guess...'

"VIVA LA WORDLEUTION!"

>...No.

"Fine."

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